strain the fierce
fervor of research might put upon them. Curiously enough, while
hitherto Edison had sought to dissociate his experimenting from his
manufacturing, here he determined to develop a large industry to which
a thoroughly practical laboratory would be a central feature, and ever a
source of suggestion and inspiration. Edison's standpoint to-day is that
an evil to be dreaded in manufacture is that of over-standardization,
and that as soon as an article is perfect that is the time to begin
improving it. But he who would improve must experiment.

The Orange laboratory, as originally planned, consisted of a main
building two hundred and fifty feet long and three stories in height,
together with four other structures, each one hundred by twenty-five
feet, and only one story in height. All these were substantially built
of brick. The main building was divided into five chief divisions--the
library, office, machine shops, experimental and chemical rooms,
and stock-room. The use of the smaller buildings will be presently
indicated.

Surrounding the whole was erected a high picket fence with a gate placed
on Valley Road. At this point a gate-house was provided and put in
charge of a keeper, for then, as at the present time, Edison was greatly
sought after; and, in order to accomplish any work at all, he was
obliged to deny himself to all but the most important callers. The
keeper of the gate was usually chosen with reference to his capacity
for stony-hearted implacability and adherence to instructions; and this
choice was admirably made in one instance when a new gateman, not yet
thoroughly initiated, refused admittance to Edison himself. It was of no
use to try and explain. To the gateman EVERY ONE was persona non grata
without proper credentials, and Edison had to wait outside until he
could get some one to identify him.

On entering the main building the first doorway from the ample passage
leads the visitor into a handsome library finished throughout in yellow
pine, occupying the entire width of the building, and almost as broad
as long. The centre of this spacious room is an open rectangular space
about forty by twenty-five feet, rising clear about forty feet from the
main floor to a panelled ceiling. Around the sides of the room, bounding
this open space, run two tiers of gallery, divided, as is the main floor
beneath them; into alcoves of liberal dimensions. These alcoves are
formed by racks extending from